Prince (April 26, 1986) NME – “Flesh For Fantasy: Prince Exposed!” Cover & Feature

GlamSlamEscape
Apr 26, 1986
2 min read

The April 26, 1986 cover of NME boldly declares “FLESH FOR FANTASY PRINCE EXPOSED!”, featuring a striking close-up portrait of Prince alongside an extensive interior feature exploring his persona, music, and androgynous image.

Publication: NME (New Musical Express) Date: April 26, 1986

Country: United Kingdom Location: London

Section: Front Cover + Major Interior Feature

THE STORY

This in-depth NME cover story delves into Prince’s enigmatic world with provocative photography and analysis. The feature examines his boundary-pushing artistry, sexual ambiguity, and cultural impact through sections like “The Voice of Androgyny”, accompanied by multiple striking portraits and stills from his performances and videos.

CONTEXT AND NOTES

1986 was a high point in Prince’s career following the massive success of Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day. This NME piece captures the intense media fascination with Prince’s mystique, fashion, and deliberate blurring of gender and sexual lines during the height of his 1980s dominance.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Major cover story and photo feature

Era: 1986 (Prince’s mid-80s peak) Tone: Provocative, analytical, sensual Photography: Close-up blurred portraits, multiple studio and performance shots

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Iconic NME cover with extreme close-up of Prince’s face and bold headline “FLESH FOR FANTASY PRINCE EXPOSED!”
Extensive interior spreads with large portraits and montages
Sections including “The Voice of Androgyny”, “Flesh on Parade”, and various Prince images (Shock Head Monarch, Hamlet Prince of Madness, etc.)
Detailed text exploring Prince’s image, sexuality, and artistic evolution

RELATED MATERIAL

This 1986 NME cover story complements other Prince magazine features from the 1980s in the scrapbook.

For other relevant posts, see the tags at the foot of the page.

All magazine scans, photographs and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.